Board game - Ivan the Terrible. The first tsar

"Ivan the Terrible" is not just a board game, but a whole journey into the depths of the history of the country, in the era when the foundations of the state and culture were being formed. It is a game about our native expanses, about places that we have known since childhood, about events that have become part of our national heritage. The game board in the form of an old map will allow players to recall the history of their native cities, their significance and role in the formation of the state. During the game, one can better understand how difficult it was to govern such vast land, what challenges and problems faced the rulers, and what decisions they made.

The round consists of three phases: planning, actions, and end of round. 

In the planning phase, players take turns placing their boyars in the Kremlin's chambers, thereby declaring their actions for the second phase of the round. At this point, a player can place as many coins from their reserve under the boyar pawn as they wish. Coins are gifts to the tsar's close ones, increasing the significance of boyars in the chambers. The most significant boyar in the chamber can, in addition to its usual action, receive an additional bonus. When all players have placed all their boyars in the chambers, the next phase begins.

During the action phase, players take turns removing boyars from the chambers, performing the corresponding actions, and then moving the boyar pawns to the cities indicated on assignment cards. Assignment cards, which are assigned to each chamber at the beginning of the round, indicate which city the boyars will go to. If a boyar has the greatest significance in the chamber, the player can place their seal in it and benefit from enhancing its action. The significance of the boyar depends on the number of coins placed under it, and in case of a tie, it is determined by royal grace (which we will explain shortly).

Brief description of the chamber actions: 
Income - choose up to three different cities with your pawns. Each city brings you the income indicated on it. Enhancement allows you to receive income again from one of these cities
Moves - perform up to two actions: place a warrior in a city with your pawn or move a warrior or boyar. When moving, you can take a trade token that lies in your path and play its effect. Enhancement grants one more of these actions
Projects - perform up to two actions: take a project card or complete a project from hand, playing its effect and earning victory points. Enhancement grants one more of these actions
Exchange - exchange any goods and/or coins at a rate of 2:1, and also receive one foreign good. Enhancement grants one additional foreign good
Grants - take a card of estate or title. Estates have useful effects that can be applied once per round, while titles bring victory points twice during the game. Enhancement grants one more estate card

Then comes the end of round phase. First, the players' influence in the four regions of the Russian kingdom is determined: East, South, West, and North. A player's influence is the sum of their pawns in the region: warriors, buildings (placed by the effect of construction projects), and boyars who moved from the Kremlin chambers to cities in the previous phase. The player with the highest influence chooses one of two rewards indicated on the regional token, while the player who ranked second receives the other reward. Regional tokens are updated in each round.

Next, preparation for the next round takes place: players retrieve boyars and seals, update estate and title cards, shuffle assignment cards, update tokens on the game board, and determine the new first player.

At the end of the second and fourth rounds, points are awarded for titles, royal grace, and warriors sent to defend the borders of the state by the effect of military projects.

Game features: Royal grace
One of the key mechanics of the game "Ivan the Terrible" is royal grace, a universal principle for resolving game disputes. It is inspired by the historical system of mestnichestvo, which determined the advantage of boyars in various situations: from appointing commanders to seating at the royal table. All ties in the game are resolved in favor of the player who is higher on the royal grace tracker. This applies to significance in the chambers, influence in the regions, and even victory in the game.

Gaining royal grace is a matter of calculation and planning, not luck. You can approach the royal person by receiving or playing the necessary token, using an estate, gaining a reward in a region, or even by timely scoring the required number of points. When a player gains royal grace, their pawn is moved to the top division of the tracker, pushing the other pawns down. During the round, players' positions on the royal grace tracker can change multiple times, which must also be taken into account during the planning stage of actions.

Resource management 
Coins, local and foreign resources constitute the material basis of players, which is necessary to gain influence in the chambers, use estates, and complete projects that bring a significant portion of victory points. At the end of the game, unspent coins and resources will also yield points, but it is much more advantageous to spend them during the game. It is particularly important to ensure a flow of foreign resources: gunpowder, metal, and fabric, which are needed to complete the most valuable projects.

Estates can become the foundation of your material base. Their main advantage is that they provide you with additional actions, independent of the number of your boyars. However, opportunities for acquiring estates are limited, and they can only be used once per round. Therefore, you should carefully choose which estates to acquire, when, and how to use them to get the maximum benefit.

Trade tokens are another important component of your game "engine". They allow you not only to obtain and exchange goods and coins, but also to acquire victory points, place warriors, and gain royal grace. For trade tokens, trade projects become particularly significant, as their effect is to reactivate tokens. You can also discard trade tokens from your personal board to draw new projects out of turn. Wise use of trade tokens and careful selection of goods for exchange can be the key to success.

Multiple paths to victory 
In "Ivan the Terrible", the game does not dictate to players how to develop, but players themselves choose a strategy they like. Here are some ways to earn victory points in the game:

Completing projects. Each completed project earns you victory points. Additionally, project effects help you gain points from other sources, allowing you to reuse trade tokens, place warriors in the Wild Field, and increase your influence in the regions
Titles. Players receive victory points indicated on their titles at the end of the second and fourth rounds. Titles are granted by the tsar upon visiting the grants chamber
Wild Field. During the game, players send their warriors to defend the southern borders of the state, completing military projects. This brings them valuable trophies and victory points twice during the game: after the second and after the fourth rounds
Royal grace. After the second and fourth rounds, players receive victory points for their position on the royal grace tracker. Additionally, you earn points during the game if you receive royal grace while being at the top division of the tracker
Influence in regions. At the end of each round, players receive rewards for influence in the four regions of the Russian kingdom. Each regional token consists of two possible rewards: game effect and victory points.
Remaining goods and coins. At the very end of the game, players exchange their remaining goods and coins for victory points
Design and illustrations

The combination of two graphic styles creates visual diversity and enlivens the game components. The infographics and basic design of the game are made in the style of historical chronicles, referring to the Illuminated Chronicle, a famous monument of the era of Ivan the Terrible. For elements that are primarily of artistic value - card backs and boards, as well as Kremlin chambers - a realistic style based on authentic descriptions and historical reconstructions has been chosen. Such illustrations not only serve as an additional way to highlight key elements but also add depth and realism to the game, allowing players to better feel the historical atmosphere and context. You do not just flip through an old book looking at stylized pictures, but find yourself in the midst of events.

Who won?
The game ends after the fourth round. Players compare the victory points scored during the game, and the one with the most points becomes the winner.

Contents: 
- Game board
- 66 cards
- 181 wooden tokens
- 102 tokens
- 4 player boards
- Rules of the game

Card size: 44x67 mm

Game duration: from 120 to 180 minutes
Number of players: from 2 to 4